Christian Atsu, a 31-year-old Ghanaian footballer, was found dead under the rubble of the building he lived in, according to his Turkish agent and club.
He had been missing since the devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on February 6.
Atsu played for Turkish club Hatayspor and joined last year. His body was recovered from the ruins of Ronesans Residence, a 12-story luxury building where he lived in Antakya in Hatay province.
The contractor responsible for the building, which collapsed during the earthquake, was arrested last week at Istanbul airport while attempting to flee the country for Montenegro.
Atsu had initially planned to leave southern Turkey on the day of the earthquakes, but he chose to stay with Hatayspor after scoring the winning goal in a Super Lig match on February 5.
He represented Ghana 65 times and helped them reach the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final, where they lost to Ivory Coast on penalties. He last played for Ghana in 2019.
Following news of Atsu’s death, tributes poured in on social media from his former clubs, including Newcastle and Everton, expressing their condolences to his family and friends.
Atsu also played for Chelsea, Vitesse, and Bournemouth on loan. The Ghana Football Association also extended its condolences to Atsu’s wife and children, family, loved ones, and the football community.
Atsu’s elder brother, twin sister, and an officer of the Ghanaian embassy were present when his body was found.
The earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria killed over 45,000 people, and the death toll is expected to rise. Many people are still missing, and over 264,000 apartments in Turkey have been destroyed.
